Buffalo: Black and Blue

by James Ward

In Buffalo, New York, a chilling series of crimes unfold when a brutal murderer targets seemingly random victims. With the clock ticking and the killer always one step ahead, detective Marvin Campbell must navigate Buffalo’s complex social fabric to uncover the perpetrator, whose motives lie buried in the past but now threaten to tear the city apart.


Black and Blue is a riveting murder mystery that delves into the darkness of racial hatred. With its compelling characters, mounting suspense, and thought-provoking exploration of societal divisions, this gripping tale will challenge readers' perceptions and keep them guessing until the final shocking resolution.

Genres: Fiction, Crime

283 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 31, 2024

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database. This profile contains books by more than one author with this name.

Reviews

[Pamela Kwiatkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book

This was such a good detective story. Being from Buffalo, it was special to me. I just loved the realism of it. Thank you for the enjoyment.

[Christina Matheis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m from Buffalo Ny and still live here, so reading about it was cool. This book was amazing and I loved it. It’s true that Buffalo is the city of good neighbors and I’m glad they figured everything out and it ended the way it did.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid read! As someone who lives in the Buffalo area, I didn’t know about this case and its absolutely tragic that this happened.

I don’t know if I’m dumb or what, but I had no idea this was a fictionalized story based on the murders. I went to google to search Doyle Steele and was shocked to see he wasn’t a real person. I wondered how the author got all of this dialogue and detail to tell this story 😂

Overall, a very entertaining yet educational read. Now I know a little more about some history in my own backyard. After having a recent racially charged massacre here in Buffalo a few years ago, this definitely hit differently and it makes me hope something like this never happens again.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars - rounded up because like many people who have reviewed this book, I was born in Buffalo and it's always - not sure I'd want to say fun, given the topic, but maybe adds a bit of extra interest - to read books with a local connection. I also learned quite a bit about a murder case from almost 50 years ago, which happened right after I moved back for college but while I was on an exchange program abroad, so I missed most of it at the time. I liked the detective (and his sidekick), too, and would happily read another book featuring him.

[mary deppe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

This is a great read. The author brings his characters' to life, you can actually close your eyes and picture them. I would recommend this book to anyone you likes suspense with a surprise ending. I will continue to follow this author. He has a way of bringing you in and keeping you interested til the very end.

[Sarina Wein · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was a very good read, just seemed like it left a few little holes where it could have elaborated a little bit more. I did really enjoy it though, especially being from Buffalo, NY myself, it was cool to see familiar Buffalo places in a book :)

[Alex Riesz · Rating 1 out of 5]

dumb book

Poor plot line reads like a direct to vhs movie script. Characters are introduced for no reason. Zero character flaws for the protagonist. Nobody should read this race baiting nonsense, total waste of time

[Christina Mages · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being born and raised in Buffalo NY it was pretty cool reading a book based here. This book was absolutely amazing. Definitely a 5 star must read. I'm glad it ended the way it did.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was just okay.

Somewhat predictable.